Relocating to Durham area

[Cookie369]

Hi, help I’m in the process of selling my home in the south and looking to relocate around the Durham area, can anyone please give me ideas of better areas as I’m taking my youngest two daughters who are 11. Going to me a big move and so worried about getting it wrong! We are looking to buy there and spending around the 220k Mark.
Thankyou smile

Be aware St Bedes in Lanchester has been dining out on its “outstanding” ofsted since 2009!

Shotley Bridge adjoins Consett and is lovely. Depends where you want to be near, and what sort of things you like. Other places I'd like to live include Rowlands Gill, Burnopfleid, Prudhoe. There are a lot of lovely places in the Derwentside/Derwent Valley area, just north of Durham.

Shotley Bridge is lovely but not so good for schools and facilities for teens.

Are you tied to somewhere for work @Cookie369?

@Disfordarkchocolate hi, no... hubby wants early retirement even though he’s only 55 😂.

Oh god if you aren't tied then go coastal. Go further north and further East.

Hexham would be my choice then. The retired people here are bloody lucky. Great schools too.

We have small cinema, leasure centre, library, theatre, athletics club (loads of sport), great doctors, active churches etc.

Housing is on the pricy side but the whole town gets into the secondary school.

Do your children have any activities they need to keep up @Cookie365?

Northumberland has the three tier system for schools too, which would mean your DC going to middle school rather than secondary, at first, so it might be a less difficult transition.

Framwellgate Moor and Newton Hall are great with kids - lots of open spaces and really easy to travel north to Newcastle. That development in aykley heads doesn't have a great deal in your budget but the setting is lovely, right on the edge of a nature reserve. You wouldn't know you were in a city.
This is what's available at your sort of price point. The lack of a proper dining area let's it down, imo www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-71516805.html

This one is on the outskirts of the city but has a much more family friendly lsyout
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-89220122.html

Thankyou to you all, we started looking more coastal aswell so we will see what we can come up with, might have to send DH out to work at this rate

I would definitely take children's activities into account, being a taxi service for busy children gets very wearing after a while. The ability to let them go to the shops, meet friends etc is great. Good luck, its great up North.